


One Rainy Night

by LadyPenn (i_write_a_lot)



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Rain, buglaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-05 00:13:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_a_lot/pseuds/LadyPenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal is stuck at the Burks place, on a rainy night, and they have to contend with a burglar. Peter is without his gun, leaving the two of them at the burglar’s mercy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Rainy Night

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own White Collar.

“Aw, damn.” Neal said, as he opened the door when heading out of the Burke’s home, intent on heading over to June’s. He and Mozzie had a kind of movie night thing, where they would watch some flicks for inspiration. The last movie had been ‘Laura Croft: Tomb Raider’, which he had rather liked. It was his turn for the movie tonight, and he’d picked a good one, or so he thought. Even Peter and El had said that it was good-Sherlock Holmes was a classic, and the new version with Robert Downy Junior was supposedly really good. He’d been looking forward to the movie.   
And now, he was effectively stuck at the Burke’s place, because trying to go through the pouring rain where you could barely see in front of your face while in the city was nothing short of suicide.   
“You’re welcome to stay until the rain quits.” Peter suggested. “El and I were going to watch a movie ourselves. Want to join?”  
“I wasn’t planning on staying…I don’t want to intrude,” Neal said, sighing as he was hesitating about closing the door.   
“It’s not intruding-Neal!” Peter exclaimed as a guy decked out all in black (black mask, black shirt, and black jeans) stepped around the side of the door and aimed a gun at Neal’s head. Peter reached automatically for his gun, but it wasn’t there. He hadn’t been expecting trouble at his own front door-literally.   
Neal froze, looking at the guy who was looking rather serious, as he stood there with his gun aimed in front of his head.   
“Inside,” The gunman said flatly, his tone grim. Peter and Neal slowly went in, as the gunman kept his weapon trained at Neal’s head. “Anyone else in this house?”   
“No,” Peter said loudly, hoping that El would get enough sense to hide outside or something. Neal glanced at him, obviously noting what he was doing, and glanced back at the gunman.   
“Really? Well, why not go into the living room then. You-come with me. Should the other guy try anything, I’ll shoot you in retribution.” The gunman said, his tone a slow drawl. Neal shivered, and looked at Peter.   
“Go with him, Neal.” Peter ordered. “And for gods sake, don’t antagonize him.” Peter added, and reached into his pockets, as though he was walking with his hands in his pockets like normal people do-but in fact, he was grabbing his cell phone (seriously relieved he hadn’t yet put it on the counter like he usually did after work). He had mastered the ability to text without seeing the words there, having memorized what the phone looks like in case of emergencies like these.   
Neal went with the gunman, and Peter waited anxiously in the living room, texting Diana and the others about their situation, and also texting El, remembering that she also had her phone with her. He sent a text to all on his automatic list: gunman at house, do not come unless team members trained to deal with this-currently has gun at Neal’s head, not sure what he wants yet. El, stay out of the house, get to somewhere safe, just go to June’s, it’s closest, be careful all.   
His phone buzzed, but he couldn’t bring it out to look at who’d responded, because the gunman had come back into the living room with Neal, who was carrying ducktape and white rope that Peter had kept in the garage. Peter sighed, knowing that they were likely just about to be tied up and left for the night.   
“Tie him up,” The gunman ordered Neal, and Neal hesitated before reluctantly getting down onto his knees so that he could begin tying Peter’s feet.   
“Sorry, Peter.” He apologized, looking sincere as he began expertly tying Peter. Peter kept still so as not to spook the guy.   
“It’s fine, Neal.” Peter reassured him, wincing when Neal tightened the ropes a bit hard. Once Neal had finished tying up Peter, the gunman turned to Neal and said,   
“Show me where all the valuables are.”   
“I’m, um…a guest. I’m really not sure. Uh…” Neal said, glancing at Peter, who sighed.   
“There’s the television, computer, game system hooked with the television, some jewelry in the safe along with the bit of money set aside for emergencies, and whatever electronics you can carry, really.” Peter added, looking at Neal with concern who was appearing a bit uneasy. Of course, Neal didn’t like guns, and with Peter pretty much down with the count, it seemed as though they were stuck until help arrived. And that wouldn’t-hopefully-be too much longer, though the rain was coming down hard enough, they could hear it through the fairly thick walls of Peter’s roof.  
“Fine. I’ve got a car parked just outside your driveway. You, Neal was it? You, Neal, will carry stuff.” The gunman ordered, and Neal sighed, rolling up his sleeves.   
“Yes, sir.” Neal said sarcastically-and then yelped in surprised pain when the gunman hit him upside the head with the gun.   
“Hey!” Peter struggled uselessly against the ropes, but Neal had tied him up rather well. “You won’t be able to get him to carry things if you knock him out!”  
“If I knock him out, then I’ll just use you to carry things instead.” The gunman said in a bored tone, making Neal pale and Peter glare.   
Peter could only watch, helpless, as the gunman began ordering which items for Neal to steal. Neal was already bleeding a bit from being hit upside the head, and looked a little in pain, though he was clearly trying to keep Peter’s spirits up.   
“Hey, Peter, this won’t go onto my record, will it?” Neal asked, smirking at him. “After all, I had no intentions of staying. If it hadn’t been for the rain, I’d already be with Mozzie, watching Sherlock Holmes.”   
“I’m sure that it’ll be fine,” Peter said dryly, hoping that El was all right. Where the hell was his team at? Usually it didn’t take them this long. He tried to flex his muscles, hoping to loosen the ropes a bit while they were outside, Neal putting the game system into the guys car, but there was no such luck. Peter would have to teach Neal how to tie ropes so that people could get out of them, it seemed. Because Neal was an excellent at tying ropes.   
They came in and out of the house several times, Neal being forced to carry the heavy tv by himself (and Peter marveled at him managing to do that without dropping it, especially in the rain), and making off with most of the movies, games, and other random small electronics that Neal could carry. The gunman was watchful the entire time, obviously having done this several times in the past. Peter could only hope that the gunman would make the mistake of leaving Neal behind, instead of taking him as well. Just the thought of the gunman taking Neal with him when he’d left chilled him. This guy was dangerous and possibly deranged.   
It took more than half an hour to get all the guy wanted into the car. Finally, he came back in with Neal, both of them dripping wet, and Neal was trembling slightly-whether from cold or the head wound or fear, Peter had no clue. He just hoped Neal was all right.   
“Sit on the chair, with your hands behind your back,” The gunman ordered, and Peter inwardly was relieved-the gunman wasn’t going to take Neal with him. Thank god. Neal did as was instructed, and the gunman quickly began tying him up. It took no more than three minutes to tie Neal, and then the gunman placed tape over his mouth once done. “I would leave you without tape on your mouth, but you talk to much.” The gunman said cheerfully, and Peter glared at him. “Anyways, thanks for all the stuff, and for your corporation. In return, I will graciously allow you both to live. Enjoy your evening!”   
He then made a dash for it, and the door slammed shut behind him. Peter glanced at Neal, who was shaking slightly, and looking like he’d been dragged through the rain at an impressive speed, he was soaking so much he had created a nicely large sized scale puddle on the hardwood floor.   
A split second later, and the door banged open, and Peter could hear Diana and the others storming in. Peter and Neal both began making noise through the tape, hoping to draw their attention-but they needn’t have bothered, for Diana had already spotted them and was moving her way towards Peter’s side. Cutting through the ropes, while Jones was cutting through Neal’s, She undid the tape on his mouth, and he began speaking earnestly.   
“El-”  
“Safe.” Diana confirmed.   
“Thank god,” Peter said, breathing out in relief.   
“She’s at June’s, with a pair of agents there watching just in case. Though Mozzie says that he’s more likely to defend her than those two.” Diana continued with a tiny grin at her last remark. Peter gave a small smile back, though he was still pretty shaken at the whole unbelievableness of the situation. “How’d this happen, boss?”   
“By surprise, that’s how. He took Neal hostage when Neal had opened the front door, intent on going back to June’s. I didn’t have my gun on me, because I wasn’t expecting trouble to happen at home. By the way, we need a medic for Neal-he was hit pretty hard-” Peter said, quickly, but Jones cut across him.   
“We’ve got it boss-EMTs are sitting outside with other agents already. Come on, Caffrey.” Jones escorted Neal out to the EMTs, and Diana turned from the pair after they’d left back to Peter.   
“He get everything, boss?”  
“Everything but Neal,” Peter said, sighing. “I did manage to keep the most important backup safe from him, though he did get a good haul.”  
“We’ll get him,” Diana reassured him, patting him on the shoulder. “Your not hurt?”  
“My hands and feet are asleep, but beyond that, no.” Peter said, grimacing as his feet began to start getting feeling again. Soon, it’d be all pins and needles, and he absolutely hated that. “What took you so long, by the way? Normally you’re at the scene in less than five minutes.” He commented, frowning at her.  
“Ah…there was an accident blocking our path,” Diana explained, looking regretful. “We couldn’t pass around them. Otherwise, we’d have been here ASAP.” She added, unnessarily.   
“You just missed him, too. He left at least four minutes behind you guys, when you showed up.” Peter said, sighing. “I’ve a feeling he’s going to be a hard one to track down. Maybe the rain might slow him down.”  
“Got an identification of the car from Neal, and the license plate number.” Jones said, coming back into the house after shaking off the rain at the front door. It was still pouring, though it seemed to be getting lighter. Hopefully that meant that the rain would let up soon, Peter thought.   
“Bastard didn’t cover it?” Diana asked, incredulous and gleeful. “Awesome, we’ll catch him in no time. Caffrey okay?”  
“Got a massive headache and a good sized bruise, needed five stitches to close that head wound up, but otherwise okay.” Jones confirmed. Peter scowled at that, thinking that Neal shouldn’t have to have stitches. But at least there was no serious damage. And, with that license plate number, they’d likely catch the guy before too long.  
One could only hope.  
Diana was still chattering to him about finding ways of getting the car and the guy that owned it, while Jones was commenting about getting Neal home. Peter looked out to the EMTs, saw Neal-who gave him a cheerful wave though he looked more than a little wet, not to mention there was a good scar running on his right side of his forehead with a piece of tape across it. Peter waved back, more glad than ever that the gunman had only stolen his household items, and not the things that mattered most.   
~*~  
The End  
Thanks for reading.


End file.
